EPA v. MCDONNELL DOUGLAS SPACE SYSTEMS COMPANY

Case summary

THIS REFERRAL SEEKS $511,000 IN CIVIL PENALTIES FROM MCDONNELL DOUGLAS SPACE SYSTEMS COMPANY IN HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA. ( MCDONNELL DOUGLAS ) FOR FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL CATEGORICAL PRETREATMENT STANDARDS AT ITS HUNTINGTON BEACH FACILITY. EPA REGION 9 SEEKS PENALTIES TO RECOVER THE ECONOMIC BENEFIT OF NON-COMPLIANCE AND ACCOUNT FOR THE GRAVITY OF THE VIOLATIONS. MCDONNELL DOUGLAS OWNS AND OPERATES A MISSILE AND AIRCRAFT PARTS MANUFACTURING BUSINESS IN HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA. UNTIL APRIL 1,1991, AS PART OF ITS MISSILE MANUFACTURING, MCDONNELL DOUGLAS PERFORMED PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD MANUFACTURING, WHICH IS A METAL FINISHING OPERATION. MCDONNELL DOUGLAS DISCHARGED AN AVERAGE OF 7,000 GALLONS PER DAY OF METAL FINISHING THROUGH A SINGLE DISCHARGE POINT INTO THE COUNTY SANITATION DISTRICTS OF ORANGE COUNTY ( CSD ORANGE COUNTY ) SEWERS. THE WASTE WAS THEN CONVEYED TO THE ORANGE COUNTY TREATMENT PLANT NO. 2 FOR TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL INTO THE PACIFIC OCEAN. THE CLEAN WATER ACT ( THE ACT ) SETS PRETREATMENT STANDARDS GOVERNING THE LEVELS OF POLLUTANTS IN INDUSTRIAL WASTES DISCHARGED INTO A SEWER SYSTEM {33 U.S.C. SECTION 1317}. THESE INCLUDE INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC CATEGORICAL PRETREATMENT STANDARDS. THE DISCHARGES FROM MCDONNELL DOUGLAS' PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS REPEATEDLY VIOLATED THE CATEGORICAL PRETREATMENT STANDARDS GOVERNING METAL FINISHING POINT SOURCES {40 C.F.R. PART 433 SUBPART A}. MCDONNELL DOUGLAS HAS REPORTED TO EPA THAT IT CLOSED THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS IN APRIL 1991 THIS IS AN ACTION TO COLLECT CIVIL PENALTIES FOR MCDONNELL DOUGLAS' PAST VIOLATIONS OF THE ACT.

Defendants (1)

• MCDONNELL DOUGLAS SPACE SYSTEMS COMPANYNamed in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (3)

• MCDONNELL DOUGLAS AEROSPACE

  5301 BOLSA AVE., H028-G111, HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA, 92647

  Registry ID: 110000480042

• MCDONNELL DOUGLAS AEROSPACE

  5301 BOLSA AVE., H028-G111, HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA, 92647

  Registry ID: 110000480042

• MCDONNELL DOUGLAS AEROSPACE

  5301 BOLSA AVE., H028-G111, HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA, 92647

  Registry ID: 110000480042

Statutes cited

• CWA 301/307 — Effluent Limitations - NPDES Toxic & Pretreatment Effluent Standards

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• MCDONNELL DOUGLAS CORPORATIONentered 1993-09-22

  Primary law: CWA

  Federal penalty: $505,000

Timeline (7 milestones)

• 1991-10-15Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 1992-06-11Referred To Dept Of Justice
• 1993-08-30Complaint Filed With Court
• 1993-09-22Concluded
• 1993-09-22Final Order Lodged
• 1993-09-22Final Order Entered
• 1993-09-30Enforcement Action Closed